Half-Days and Time-keeping

I took a half-day yesterday from work, with the original intention of going camping yesterday afternoon for an extended weekend. As it was, I had a call with Australia at 07:00 (after a 21:00 call the previous evening), and didn't finish in the office until 13:15. So by that point I had worked four and a half hours. Then when I got home I joined another call from 14:30 to 15:15, bring my work hours for the day to five and a quarter. There are some days I work less than this when I'm putting in a 'full day'.
Still, I got lots done, so that's okay. And you can probably guess we didn't go camping yesterday. We are planning to go today, as long as it's fine. There's no point going for two days just to get wet.

Going back to the work thing, we are so busy at the moment it is untrue. There have been two rounds of redundancies at work so far (one at end '08, one just completing), and our department wasn't impacted, so it's not like we have three people doing five people's jobs. It's just really busy. And the company have decided in order to maintain liquidity, they are going to stop paying into our pension funds for eighteen months. So we are working our socks off, having been given a pay cut. It's a crazy world.
TTFN.

Go, the Sussex

Sussex have made it through to the Friends Provident Final, the 50-over version of the game. Good work fellas. Shame the international match between West Indies and India was rained off. Gayle was out first ball, near enough.
'Twas a busy weekend of weeding. I wish I'd taken before and after photos, as the grasses were of almost biblical bulrush proportion. I took two loads of grass to the dump, and that amounted to two binloads each time. God, I sweated! Watched X2 as well, all the way through - that's a good film, but so long! I was willing it to end, eventually...
Night night.

Catch-Up

Can't believe it's been so long!
Have had Daughter #3, 'Gunk-Eye' (will probably come up with a new name soon).
Have enjoyed the weather - it's been lovely recently.
Have had my pension payments stopped by work, due to 'the economic downturn' - 'but our people are our most valuable asset'. Doesn't add up, if you ask me.
Went to see Sussex play the Australians at the end of June - a very enjoyable few days.
Went to Goodwood Festival of Speed yesterday - very noisy and hot - a good way to start the weekend.
Really busy at work. Not enough time to do what I want at home. Shouldn't really be doing this - am off to get dressed and garden. Those weeds need sorting out.
TTFN.

Slight Sadness

I'm a bit deflated at the mo, as The Company (the one I work for) has decided to only award me a 1.68% pay rise this year. I know that a lot of people have not received a payrise this year, and some 'executives' have even taken paycuts, but it's still a slap in the face, especially as I don't think I've been as busy since I joined the team. And rail prices have risen by 8% this year, which is a real kick in the teeth. Still, in 2009 rail prices will probably have to decrease, as deflation is on the cards. So actually a payrise of 1.68% may actually turn out to be more like a rise of 3%.
There you go, I'm getting more cheerful already!
TTFN.

Mistresses

So, managed to catch up with eps I & II of Mistresses series 2 last night. Very good telly. But how blimmin' far-fetched is it?
You've got the Irish bird, stuck in a loveless marriage, child by another father born into the marriage, going off and having random anonymous sex on what appears to be a nightly basis, in a posh hotel that must be costing a bomb. Firstly, if you start spending that sort of cash, you'll have none left. Then, secondly, your partner would notice. And thirdly, if your life is that rubbish, DO something. But she is fit, though.
Then you've got Sarah Parish, who is also fit. She was a star in Cutting It and is a great actress. She gets a young bit of man-meat and then is letched at by an old college boyfriend. How many people (not just sexy mature ladies) get involved in a love triangle? Surely the answer is 'v. few'.
Next up - Trudi, who is with a bloke who appears to be available at any point during the day, but still earns enough to be regularly paying out £3,000 to an unknown beneficiary. And he argues with strange & unexplained ladies in houses throughout the locale. Unfortunately Trudi appears to be on a losing streak.
And finally there's Jessica, obviously very attractive but not my pair of socks, who is now married to a randy sod who is going to break her heart - despite the fact that she wants to be seen as a free spirit, she wants the marriage to work.

It's all complete poppycock, but a great way to spend an hour a week.

Windies Part II

So, from zeroes to heroes - possibly. I missed the last part of today's play, as TW was recording ANTM and MasterChef, but it looks like Swann got 5-57. And that's after we got 566-9 declared yesterday. My fear early today was that the match would end in a draw, with the WI 1st innings incomplete. If we can bat like that, surely they can do the same? But apparently not.
If we can pull a win out of this one, that would set the series up quite nicely.
TTFN.

53 All Out - A Sad Day?

Okay, it's taken me a while to get around to this. I've read a bit, thought a bit, been a bit sad, and been quite pessimistic. Which (I feel) is unlike me.
Let's start by looking forward to the Ashes. I've watched with interest as Australia have lost to South Africa, and made life difficult for themselves against the Kiwis. In my opinion, if Australia lose on Friday, they will be stung in defeat and they will come fully-armed for the Ashes. If they don't come as a broken force, we will be in trouble. Even with a home advantage, I don't believe we will have the hunger necessary to win a test series against Australia.

Now let's look at England today. Who needs to be replaced? Mostly, the batsmen. Strauss, Cook, and Bell all need to go. Obviously Shah will replace Bell. A certain Rob Key could replace Strauss, and A.N. Other could replace A.N. Cook. But, you cry, what about the captaincy? Give it back to Pietersen, is the obvious answer. Someone in India reckons he is worth $1.55MM, and the captaincy for three weeks of a six-week season. Yet ECB have hung him out to dry. He may be an egomaniac, I don't care. What is good for Pietersen as England captain is good for the England team. KP wants to win? The team need wins. If KP drags the team dragging and screaming to winning ways, so be it. If it looks like the ECB are using KP, so be it. At this time, right now, a win is a win is a win.

Why did England lose, and get all out for 51? Several factors: working backwards:

• IPL auction - $1.55MM for KP & Freddie is going to impact on all psyches involved.
• Change of coach - Andy Flower may have been involved in the coaching team, but do the players see him as a leader
• Change of captain - I may regret this. Strauss may be a grower. However, I think KP showed he was thinking outside the box. He got Harmison back. He wanted Vaughan back for his strategic planning. He wanted to WIN. Strauss is a competent leader, but he is a fill-in, he's not inspirational. He's a care-taker captain.

I'm concerned that we are going to get mugged by the Windies here. Gayle is cited as being much matured. Sulaiman Benn has been a surprise. Taylor and Powell are on top of their game and I sweat every time Chanderpaul comes to the crease.
Can you single out English individuals in the same way? KP, as a batsman. Freddie is efficient but not killer. Monty the same. Harmison can be devastating, but not on every occasion.
Best wishes to the England team, but I'm calling a loss in the Windies.
TTFN (sadly).

More Cricket...

...up at 06:00 this morning to watch AUS vs NZ first ODI. Surprised to see Aus 50 for 5, but they improved to 180 all out. NZ aren't much better, 41 from 42 required to win. Will they do it? Quite an interesting game. No big boundaries, but evenly-balanced.
Superbowl XLIII tonight - my money's on the AZ Cardinals - quite literally. I've got colleagues who work in Phoenix, so I allowed myself a £2 wager at 5-1. Break out the Cristal!
TTFN.

Children can be a real test...

Geez. As I'm writing this, Monkey is screaming on the stairs that she wants a cuddle. I've only been reading to her for 35 minutes, and trying to get her to go to sleep for the last 20 minutes. Finally she's retired. What's it going to be like when we have three?

Scan News - Hot Off The Press !!!

Twenty week scan today - it's (most likely) a girl. "No dangly bits", said the sonographer. Thank the Lord, a lucky escape for me - no need to show an interest in soccer. And more reason to build a little batchelor pad / warm shed in the back garden.
Actually I'm very pleased. I wonder what we'll name her?
TTFN.

HNY 09

Happy New Year all. Just watching Celeb BB. The year can only get better.

Kids

Jeez, kids are tough. I can't imagine what things are going to be like when #3 turns up in May.
TTFN.

It's Nearly All Over

So the end of 2008 is almost upon us. It's been a good year. Kiddie #3 is nearly with us - well, in May, anyway. I've moved jobs, getting the payrise, and learned more about the new role. Unfortunately, I am now 37, but I got some good presents, and I have yet to experience my birthday facial.
I can't believe it's only two weeks until Christmas...
TTFN.

Dear Martin Johnson...

Any chance of a win this afternoon?
TTFN.

Oh Gee, KP

I thought your motto was "bat". And if you were in any doubt, "pause, think, and then bat". And if it looked like a bowling-friendly wicket, "pause, think, pause again, and then bat".
I hope the next six games are better.
TTFN.

Movember

So, I've agreed to grow a moustache for Movember. It's for a prostate cancer charity. TW isn't too happy - she don't like hairy upper lips. But if I can raise some cash for charidee, I will.
TTFN.

Brand & Ross

I know I'm late on this, but were resignations appropriate?
Was intervention by the PM necessary?
And how much has Voluptua's career benefitted?
If I were in any way paranoid, I'd be suggesting a conspiracy of some kind.
TTFN.

Wedding Past

So, The Wedding was excellent. Set off to perfection by my reading, natch.
TTFN.

Forthcoming Wedding

So, lil Sis is getting married this weekend. I've just had my hair cut in anticipation. I'm also going to read - from the Song of Solomon. Good work.
TTFN.

Question Time

Dominic Grieve is not coming across very well. In fact, one might label him 'objectionable'. In the vernacular, he might be called a 'c**t'. Is he the new John Redwood?
TTFN.